The present invention is directed to an apparatus for identification and control of access to a newborn infant. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a clamp including an identification label for placement on the umbilical cord of the newborn infant.
Presently, newborn infants are identified by placement of a wristband and/or an ankleband about the respective limb of the infant. By necessity, the wristband or ankleband must be placed so as to be loose, to prevent restricting of the circulation. Because of the placement of the wristband and/or ankleband, in combination with the normal movement including kicking and hand waving which a newborn infant normally practices, it is not uncommon for the wristband and/or the ankleband to become dislodged, whereby the infant no longer has an identification attached to their body.
The cost associated with misidentification of newborn infants, with respect to both insurance to the attending hospital as well as the emotional impact on the parents, is difficult to measure. However, in a hospital which routinely handles multiple newborns simultaneously, it is a constant fear that two infants will be switched, or alternatively that an infant will be kidnapped. Thus, it is very important for both the hospital and the parents that the newborn infant be identified in a manner which is secure and which prevents removal by non-parents or non-hospital staff.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have an identification system which fixes securely to the newborn infant and which cannot easily be removed or altered.